


a hope still glimmers dim

by elinciacrimea



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 15:07:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17942006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elinciacrimea/pseuds/elinciacrimea
Summary: After Renning is healed, Elincia thanks his savior. Radiant Dawn, post 4-5.





	a hope still glimmers dim

The first thing Reyson is aware of, upon waking up, is that he feels as though he has been trampled by a warhorse. Several, in fact. An entire stampede of warhorses. With iron shoes on.

With a good deal of difficulty, he forces his eyes open, blinking at the tent ceiling above him a few times. His head feels like someone filled it with wool. He turns it to the side, and it takes him a moment to focus on the white-clad figure kneeling beside him. "Queen...Elincia?"

Her eyes fly open when she hears him. "You're awake!"

"Barely." 

"Are you feeling all right?" She scoots forward a little on her knees, looking at him with an expression he can't quite place. Fear, perhaps?

"Not really." Reyson tries to force the fog in his head to clear. He wants to ask what Elincia is doing here, but he first has to figure out exactly what he himself is doing here.

"Here…" Elincia fumbles with something lying next to her, and then holds out a waterskin. "Are you thirsty?"

Reyson's throat feels like sandpaper, now that he thinks about it. He manages a nod, and then through sheer willpower slowly forces himself into a sitting position. Elincia watches him apprehensively, half-extending one hand to help and then thinking better of it.

Once he is upright, Elincia passes Reyson the waterskin and he drinks from it. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see her still watching him with that nervous expression. It makes him uneasy.

Reyson lowers the waterskin. "I don't mean to be rude, but what are you doing here?"

"I was...keeping an eye on you. I took over from Tibarn, so he could get a break," Elincia answers, taking back the empty waterskin. "Do you want anything to eat? I have some food here…" 

"Er, no. Thank you." An uncomfortable silence hangs heavy in the tent.

"I wanted to be here when you woke up," Elincia says at last, fiddling with the hem of her jacket. "So I could...thank you. For what you did for Uncle."

The last of the clouds clear from Reyson's memory. "Ah. That." 

"Tibarn says you risked your life." 

"I may have. It worked, though, right? I mean, he hasn't reverted back or anything?"

"No, no," says Elincia quickly. "He's sleeping peacefully now." 

"That's good."

"I have no words to express my gratitude," Elincia murmurs, lowering her eyes to the tent floor. "You have given me something more precious than words can express. On behalf of Crimea, and more than that, on behalf of myself, from the bottom of my heart...I thank you." She bows low from her kneeling position, her forehead nearly touching the tent floor as she rests it on her folded hands.

"Um." Reyson stares at the prone queen. He has absolutely no idea what to say. He's never been any good with people, beorc or laguz, but Elincia has always perplexed him even moreso. The seconds stretch on, uncomfortable and awkward.

Reyson clears his throat. "Uh, that's enough. Please lift your head." He tries to imitate the way Leanne sounded, when the apostle had been crying at their feet in the forest. Oh, Leanne had better not find out about this. She'd never let him hear the end of it.

Elincia sits up, but her expression is something like that of a kicked puppy. Or Leanne, after being told that three sweet buns is plenty for a growing heron.

He really, _really_ wishes Leanne was here. Or Rafiel, or Father, or literally anyone. Or Ashera, who could turn him to stone, so he wouldn't have to continue this extremely awkward conversation. That would be acceptable, as well.

Reyson shakes himself a little. He is not going to be intimidated by the possibility of making some beorc queen mildly uncomfortable. No, he can do this.

"It was nothing," he finally says. "I merely wished to help." 

"You have helped so much," Elincia says, her voice hardly above a whisper. "I don't know how I can ever possibly repay you…"

Oh great. She's crying. Tibarn is going to laugh his head off about this later, he just _knows_ it.

"I thought…" Elincia sniffles, choking slightly, wiping her eyes on her sleeve, "I had nothing left. My family was gone, and I was alone, with the weight of a nation on my shoulders. And you...you gave me back my uncle. I...I am no longer alone. I cannot begin to tell you how much that means to me…"

"You needn't tell me. I already know," says Reyson quietly.

Elincia starts.

"Ike did the same for me. When he found Leanne…" Reyson looks down at his hands. "Suddenly, the entire world changes. Color comes rushing back. There is...purpose, again." 

"I apologize. I did not mean to compare our situations. You have lost far more than I have…"

Reyson holds up a hand. "Please, let me finish. I was given an impossible gift. That I have given that gift to another...is an incredible honor. I feel as though I have served a purpose. I am very glad to have saved your uncle, Queen Elincia."

"Prince Reyson…"

"So that is quite enough apologizing and groveling, understood?" Reyson winces as his own words hit him. Leanne would _not_ have said that.

Elincia blinks a few times, but she's stopped crying. "Uh...understood."

A few more moments pass in quiet. Elincia is staring at Reyson. Finally, she speaks again. "I am...in awe of your strength, Prince Reyson. That you have endured all you have, and yet, you are so strong regardless...it is impressive."

"Not many would call a heron strong." 

"I would." She says it with such ferocity, such pure honesty, that Reyson can't help but believe her. "To be honest...I envy it. Had I more will, more conviction, well…" Elincia drops her eyes once more. "Leanne has likely told you some of it." 

"Ah...right. What happened in Crimea." 

"Yes. It was...my own fault. I do not say that I bear the blame for the entirety of it, but I was unsure of myself. I did not possess the bravery or the confidence to do what I had to do. Lives were lost, and people suffered." A ghost of a smile flickers on Elincia's face. "Somehow, I do not think you would have faced the same dilemma." 

"I probably wouldn't have," Reyson says. "I'd have crushed them before they got a chance."

"Perhaps you are better suited to politics than I."

"I wouldn't say that." Reyson fumbles for words. "I might even be too quick to act. It's possible my actions would have been too harsh, and led to even more bloodshed. There's a certain power in gentleness. It is not one I possess, however."

"Lucia says similar," says Elincia ruefully.

"I am unkind, and you too kind. Perhaps, if you took half of each of us, you would have the ideal diplomat." 

Elincia smiles, and this time it actually reaches her eyes. "Perhaps."

They sit in silence for a few moments more.

"Uh, was there anything more you wished to say, Queen Elincia?" 

"Oh! No, no." Elincia gets to her feet. "I should fetch King Tibarn, actually. He said to come get him as soon as you woke up." 

"Where is he?" 

"He and Bastian are...exchanging tactics, I think? They wish to learn from each other. Tibarn seemed rather amused by it all." Elincia shakes her head.

"He has taken an interest in beorc tactics lately. But from Bastian…" 

"I know. I'm a bit frightened to think what will come of it, honestly. Ranulf promised he'd run interference. Either way, they all seem to be having a good time. I thought I'd leave them to it until you woke up."

"Well, farewell, then." Reyson thinks a moment. "I look forward to seeing who you will become, Queen Elincia." It is the truth.

"I hope it is something worthy of pride. And I know you do not wish me to, but I must thank you once more. For everything." Elincia bows, and hurries out of the tent.

Reyson lies back down and stares at the tent ceiling, until he hears the distinctive rustle and footsteps of Tibarn.

"So you're up, then?" 

"More or less." 

"Good. Don't scare me like that." 

"I'm _fine_." 

"I know, I know." Tibarn bends over Reyson, brushing a stray strand of hair out of his face. "I worry anyway." 

Reyson rolls his eyes at him.

"Well, clearly you're feeling fine. Queen Elincia looked like she'd been crying, though. What did you say to her?" 

Reyson glares.

"Kidding! Kidding. Want me to stay?" 

"If you can keep your smart mouth to yourself."

Tibarn feigns a wounded look as he lies down next to Reyson. Reyson grumbles, but lets the former slip an arm around him.

It's Reyson who speaks into the night. "Do you think...I'm strong?" 

"Yeah, of course. Why?" 

"Nothing. Just thinking…" Reyson plays with the hem of Tibarn's sleeve. "I...am proud of myself, I suppose." 

"Well, you deserve it."

"I know." 

The world is encased in stone, they are seperated from many of their loved ones, and they might all die tomorrow. Still, Reyson thinks, as sleep claims him once more, for Queen Elincia, the world is a bit brighter today. Of that fact, he is proud.

**Author's Note:**

> "This is a thinly veiled excuse to have your favorite characters interact" ...yeah. But I'd always wondered about this conversation! And then Tibarn/Reyson happened at the end, which I hadn't actually planned, but they have minds of their own haha


End file.
